We are proud to announce our partnership with PapoPreta, a therapeutic project focused on the health and well-being of black women.
Throughout the course of this project, we will be gathering perspectives, opinions and experiences of those with personal or artistic connections to an Afro-Brazilian popular saying that has travelled from Africa to Brazil: “If you walk under the rainbow, you run the risk of changing your sex.” Participants will be invited to contribute their own impressions, ideas and opinions about this saying in particular, and about mobility and memory in the Brown Atlantic in general. Taking part in this project may, therefore, elicit memories of geographical and emotional displacement, as well as experiences of gender identity and sex realignment fraught with anxiety, trauma and stress. These risks may become greater in the context of Brazil’s current political climate, where the rights of LGBT, Indigenous and Black groups are under direct threat by Jair Bolsonaro’s administration.
The Women of the Brown Atlantic project aims to create a safe space to share experiences of gender identity, sexuality, and memory making. In order to protect our participants, we will not only guarantee their full anonymity or pseudonymity if required, but also provide specialised support via our partnership with PapoPreta, a therapeutic project focused on the emotional and psychological health and well-being of black women. Papo Preta will provide specialised support to our participants whenever it is needed, both before and/or after the interviews.